Entering the abundant life is a faith venture. It’s putting your faith in the one who gave His life so that you would be free from guilt, shame, and condemnation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”. You must, by faith, believe that you are brand new and begin to do things differently. You have an opportunity to re-evaluate your past decisions and perhaps make some changes in how you approach life. Those thoughts and habits that have been destructive or holding you back in the past are now broken. Show More
PRIORITIES, SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM…
It is important to take the time to re-evaluate your priorities in life, and you have to do this often. It is so easy to lose sight of what is important and miss out on God’s best for you.
Matthew 6:33 makes it clear what our priority should be, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you”.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
“But seek first the kingdom of God…”. The kingdom of God is the spiritual kingdom which is in heaven AND earth. Accepting Jesus as Lord simply means that you recognize Him as King in your life and if He is your king, where you are that is where the Kingdom is. Everything that is available in Heaven is also available to the Believer on earth!
In everyday life, our focus should be on God, spouse, children, work. Some may ask, where is ministry in the list of priorities. Your ministry is to God, your spouse, your children, and your workplace. Ministry should not be something separate from who you are. Your ministry is to represent Jesus to everyone.
If your main focus is on God, He will show you how to minister to your spouse. Next, if you include your spouse as a focus, then you will be able to minister to your children. This will help you have a healthy home-front, which then will allow you to focus on the workplace and to be effective there.
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
“and His righteousness”, means thinking and doing what is right or proper from God’s point of view. You learn what God expects from the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Remember you are spiritual therefore you can communicate with God through the Holy Spirit.
A simple question you can ask yourself when making decisions is, “What would Jesus Do”?
This is what Jesus said when the Pharisees, the religious Jews, asked about the Greatest Commandment of the Law. Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” In other words, there are only two Laws- love God and Love others. The kind of love God wants you to express is Agape love, which is unconditional love. Love with no strings attached. This is the love that God has shown you.
THINGS SHALL BE ADDED TO YOU
“and all these things shall be added to you”. The things that shall be added are the things that you need for life; food, shelter, and clothing. Father God is a giver of good gifts.
DON’T GIVE UP!
In the last episode, I said that you will have to contend for or struggle for the abundant life. A popular saying is that “the battlefield is in the mind”! That is really a true statement. The Holy Spirit of God is in a battle with the old ways of thinking and behaving. It is not easy to break habits of a lifetime and start anew. However, as you surrender to Jesus and His teachings you will experience love, peace, and joy. Your mind will be renewed and embark on a journey that has meaning and purpose.
There are times I’ve had to grit my teeth, clench my fists, and keep my eyes on the prize… the abundant life. Pursuing God is not about acquiring things as the goal but being in a relationship with Jesus and living a life style that will release Gods abundant blessings upon your life.
